Letter to the Editor: Target Cuts to Fix National Debt

Note: This Letter to the Editor is from T.J. Rooney, managing director of Tri State Strategies PA and a former state representative.

To the Editor:

I read with interest the Patch’s story about those protesting federal cuts to the Meals on Wheels program, (“Volunteer for Meals on Wheels” Paper Plate Project”, August 05).

I believe that the mindless, across-the-board cuts implemented under the so-called sequester should be replaced with a more targeted approach that eliminates wasteful and duplicative programs and puts our limited federal resources towards essential services, like those provided by Meals on Wheels.  More to the point, the current approach is just the latest symptom of Washington’s inability to make the hard but necessary choices required to thoughtfully address our national debt.

Our elected leaders must confront the mounting national debt or risk jeopardizing the future prosperity of America for generations to come.  But they should do so in a comprehensive and bipartisan manner that includes thoughtful reductions in spending, reform of our entitlement programs to make them more efficient and slow the spiraling cost of Social Security and Medicare, and pro-growth tax reform that simplifies the IRS code and raises additional revenue, some of which should be used to begin paying down our debt. 

As the co-chair of the Pennsylvania State Steering Committee of the Campaign to Fix the Debt I am committed to supporting those in Congress and the Obama Administration who are working to find a solution that will put the United States on a sustainable fiscal path without hindering our recovery from the Great Recession.  If you agree, I would urge you to visit www.fixthedebt.org and join the nearly 14,000 Pennsylvanians who have signed our Citizens’ Petition to Fix the Debt.  Now is the time to make clear to our representatives in Washington that we expect real progress toward a sustainable fiscal future.

Sincerely,

TJ Rooney

Managing Director, Tri State Strategies PA, L.L.C